The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-02-26
'Howdy, Miz Beasley.'

house. ne WIDOW, TO snow ner n0Spl-
tality, brought him a drink of water,
and, having returned the gourd, seated
herself near him, gave her pretty white
apron a coquettish founce and said:
'Whut made yer come, young Alfa'
Case yer waved at me.
'W'y, fur pity sake, man, I wuz er
wavin' ter skeer er hawk away
well, then, reckon I better CO.
'Yer amt er goin' ter do no sich Nv
er thing, fur ez yer've dun come, yer
mout ez we'll stay er while, that is eff yer
want ter, but then yer never did kere
nuthin' fur me-
'Now, Miz Beasley,' Alf replied,
fumbling at the buttons on his coat,
yer know that =
THAT yer what, young Alfl'
ooh, that-wall, confound it, that I
allus have loved yer. I do, an I'll
berblamed eff ken help it. must CO.
ooh, do stay er little while longer
NO; fur eff stay here ten minite's
longer my prospecks in life will be gone
'Wait, Alf, an fur the Lawd's sake
tell me whut yer mean.'
Alf's mind flew back to his fiddle.
He could hear the twang of its strings,
and, far in the future, he could see him
self surrounded by an admiring crowd.
Then, catching sight of the widows
bright eyes, he sprang forward, caught
her in his arms, and exclaimed:
Fiddle or no fiddle, I'll be blamed
eff don't want you to be my wife,
Just then old man Sam stepped into
the room. Alf unclasped the widow
and sat down.
'Miz Beasley,' said the old man. I'm
mighty pore hand ter purlarver an
honey er roun'. I'm like er bee, Miz
Beasley. Er bee don't buz all day
round er flower but gifts at the honey at
once. I love yer powerful an wants
yer ter be my wife.
Law, me, Mr.. Grear,' the blushing
woman replied, young Alf wants me.
'W'y yer don't pay no conferdence
ter him do yer2'
'Oh, yes, fur he says that he loves
me-
sBut not ez we'll ez he does er fiddle
the old man replied. Il told him last
night that I'd give him my fiddle eff
he'd give you up, an he tuck the fiddle.
:Now come, dad,' Alf broke in, tell
all Nv it. Tell her that the fiddle want
the fust offerin'. Tell her that refused
the yoke Nv red steers an two NV the
white sow's pigs. Tell her all, dad, fur
I don't want her to think that l give
her up without er struggle
Il have hearn er nuff, the widow re-
piled. Ter tell the truth, it didn't
make no diffunce with me which one Nv
yer 1 married, that is, didn't make no
diffunce till hearn whut I have, but
now, l will marry the daddy instead of
the SON.
The old man took her in his arms.
Theyoung man glided through the door
way. Several hours later, as the old
man was nearing his home, he heard the
whining of the fiddle. Entering the
house, he found the young man sitting by
the fireplace, with the fiddle, pressed
with sort of despair, against his breast.
wall, Ally, it's all settled
'What do kere?'
'Uv cou'se yer kere some. Thought
yer mout like ter know erbout ther
'rangements we've made. I am ter
take charge Nv her farm an let yer work
this 'un.'
wall, that's all right
'Ain't yer goin' ter 'gratulate me?'
Not ter night
On the following Thursday the old
man and the widow were married. Alf
did not witness the ceremony, but, TAX
ing his fiddle, he went into the woods.
Two months elapsed, and the father and
son had not seen each other. One
night, while the young man, as usual,
was sitting near the fireplace, the father
entered. He sat down and for a time
said nothing. Then, with sigh, he
remarked:
.sAlf, thurs er fool in this here neigh.
borhopd.'
sThat so2'
'Yas, an l know who it is. It's yer
dady, Ale
Reckon you're right
Il know it. Alf, that farm didn't be-
long ter that oman. 1t wuz kivered
by er mortgage er foot thick, Alf.'
'Yes, sir
THAT woman is er wildcat. See
here,' showing a bruised place on his
head. 'This is whar she hit me with er
skillet. She's the meanest thing | ever
see, an yer know whut she says; says
that eff she'd er got holt Nv yerse'f she'd
er made yer dance. ALT, tell yer whut
I'll do. I'll gin yer the red steers, the
white sow's two pigs, er divorce what
I'm goin' ter git an that oman, all fur
that fiddle
Alf played lively air, and, winking
at the old man, said: keep yer prop
erty dad, fur it amt in my heart tel
cheat yer. This ole fiddle has saved
me an now I'm going to save it,
A Pretty Rug.
A. Mr. M in The Housewife